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Presumably the 1 million 'residents' who logged on in the last month disagree with you. http://secondlife.com/statistics/economy-data.php?d=2009-12-02 http://s

by dylan62 17y ago

Presumably the 1 million 'residents' who logged on in the last month disagree with you. http://secondlife.com/statistics/economy-data.php?d=2009-12-02 http://secondlife.com/statistics/economy-data.php?d=2009-12-... Although I don't use it any more, the vitriol and scorn that SecondLife engenders amazes me. I've no idea where it comes from. At heart it's basically a huge 3D chat room, albeit a fairly sophisticated one.

potatolicious 17y ago
It's the continual media love-fest for it, portraying it as a mainstream revolution in how our society functions... when in reality it's a moderately successful, extremely niche app that few people in the mainstream have even heard of, much less tried. I think the vitriol directed at SL is somewhat justified - its creators have cast it as some kind of world-changing social experiment, but in reality it's a glorified 3D chat room. We in the tech community generally dislike this sort of unsubstantiated hype.
- mahmud 17y ago
  NPR programs still invite listeners to join them on Second Life, specially Science Friday.
- ryanwaggoner 17y ago
  when in reality it's a moderately successful, extremely niche app What a testament to the exponential growth of things like Facebook and Twitter that an app that has garnered millions upon millions of users in just a few years can be described as "extremely niche" with a straight face. And though I used to agree with you, I think SL will be remembered as a somewhat paradigm-shifting social experiment, in that it first introduced many people to the idea of virtual worlds, especially in terms of virtual economies where people make real money.
zephjc 17y ago
There is a lot of banality in SL, but there are some really talented and creative people in there too; it's a matter of knowing where to look.
- philjackson 17y ago
  For someone who has never played; how does SL allow one to be creative?
  - rictic 17y ago
    You can design and sell objects. The objects can consist of a 3d model and some programming to give it functionality. Example include clothing and body modifications; furniture and buildings; vehicles like planes, boats and dragons; and all sorts of other stuff. There's a lot of possibility in SL, it's a shame that interacting with it is so clunky and awkward.
    - teeja 17y ago
      There's a lot to be said for it, but it is clunky, and hard to learn ... OTOH there's WOW, which is better looking and easier to get started in. They're heading for 12-million users, which at $15/month makes SL look like Woolworth's. But the ability to design objects, do shows et al means that for Maker-types the equal of SL exists nowhere else (that I know of).
deleted 17y ago
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by dylan62 17y ago

potatolicious 17y ago

It's the continual media love-fest for it, portraying it as a mainstream revolution in how our society functions... when in reality it's a moderately successful, extremely niche app that few people in the mainstream have even heard of, much less tried. I think the vitriol directed at SL is somewhat justified - its creators have cast it as some kind of world-changing social experiment, but in reality it's a glorified 3D chat room. We in the tech community generally dislike this sort of unsubstantiated hype.

mahmud 17y ago
NPR programs still invite listeners to join them on Second Life, specially Science Friday.
ryanwaggoner 17y ago
when in reality it's a moderately successful, extremely niche app What a testament to the exponential growth of things like Facebook and Twitter that an app that has garnered millions upon millions of users in just a few years can be described as "extremely niche" with a straight face. And though I used to agree with you, I think SL will be remembered as a somewhat paradigm-shifting social experiment, in that it first introduced many people to the idea of virtual worlds, especially in terms of virtual economies where people make real money.

zephjc 17y ago

There is a lot of banality in SL, but there are some really talented and creative people in there too; it's a matter of knowing where to look.

philjackson 17y ago
For someone who has never played; how does SL allow one to be creative?
- rictic 17y ago
  You can design and sell objects. The objects can consist of a 3d model and some programming to give it functionality. Example include clothing and body modifications; furniture and buildings; vehicles like planes, boats and dragons; and all sorts of other stuff. There's a lot of possibility in SL, it's a shame that interacting with it is so clunky and awkward.
  - teeja 17y ago
    There's a lot to be said for it, but it is clunky, and hard to learn ... OTOH there's WOW, which is better looking and easier to get started in. They're heading for 12-million users, which at $15/month makes SL look like Woolworth's. But the ability to design objects, do shows et al means that for Maker-types the equal of SL exists nowhere else (that I know of).

deleted 17y ago

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